What if we could meet Jesus again for the first time?
The Jesus we know is the resurrected, exalted Son of God, very God of very God, worthy of glory and honor and praise. We all say "Amen!" to that affirmation of faith.
Yet, there is another side to Jesus that we must not forget. It is this very human Jesus that we meet in the four Gospels. It is this Jesus who came to show us God's love. it is this Jesus who died to set us free. It is to this Jesus that I dedicate this blog.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Is that correct? Are we all one in Christ Jesus? Did Jesus distinguish the male soul from the female soul. The Roman Church has gotten the message for two out of those three stipulations. They seem to understand the neither Jew nor Greek part (we are all welcome no matter what race or nationality); they seem to understand the neither slave nor free part (we are all equal in God's eyes); but they can't seem to grasp the neither male nor female part.
Jesus set an example for His church, He taught both women and men. Many of these women were mentioned by name in the Gospels. At times this value Jesus gave to women as disciples embarrassed His male followers. Once, when Jesus was found talking to a woman of Samaria about her faith, His male disciples watched in guarded silence (John 4:1-26). They marveled that He was speaking with a woman about her faith.
In Paul’s letters, he acknowledged the value of women leaders within the churches. Some years after leaving Philippi, he wrote to the congregation there, entreating two women leaders, Euodia and Syntyche, to end a dispute between them the fact that he named these women indicates their importance within the church. Paul took it for granted that within Christianity, women as well as men could receive the same gifts, offer the same services, and perform the same activities.
Women exercised the gift of prophecy in the age of Paul. Besides Paul himself, seven men and four women are identified as prophets in the Book of Acts. Paul referred to the act of women praying and prophesying during public worship, and he did so in a casual manner, as if the practice were well established.
The advent of Jesus Christ means that we can no longer regard anyone from just a human point of view. We are more than our outward appearance. Does God love women in a different way than he loves men? According to St. Paul, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
Unless the Roman church is going to drop that last stipulation (not male or female) from this text of the letter of Paul, they need to search for a better understanding of its meaning.